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Is a wrist top computer watch a necessary item for the backcountry hunter? The truth…probably not. But it sure is nice to have one. After all, none of us died before the advent of this little piece of technology. When you’re sitting high atop a ridge line in the head of the Grey’s River and a storm front looks to be building on the horizon is sure is nice to know how far down you have to climb to the creek bottom, what time the sun is going to set, is the barometer plunging or will you wake up without an alarm in the morning to get on that 200-inch buck before the sun comes up.
And that is just some of the useful characteristics of this type of instrument. Along with all of the normal watch functions. I just bought a new Suunto Core Everest edition watch. My old Suunto Vector was getting a bit worse for the wear, after well over 2,000 days of continual use and was about due for an upgrade. After reading an article in a past issue of Backpacker Magazine I was sold on the new version of my digital hunting partner. The new Core Everest is a limited edition of only 8,848 which un-coincidentally happens to be the elevation of Mount Everest in meters. This bad boy will run you about $400 bones but well worth the money given the watch’s functions and upgrades. Beyond the time and date needed for punching your tags this not so little sucker will; tell you your elevation, give your altitude and barometric pressure, has a digital compass, give your net altitude change, measure your depth underneath the surface of a lake, give a storm alarm warning, give the sunrise and sunset times, wake-up alarm, and give the temperature all along the way. Not to mention the case full of trophies and awards this watch has won. And for good luck the signature of Apa Sherpa is on the bottom of the watch. For those of you who don’t know, Apa holds the world record for the most summits of Mount Everest at a current summit count of twenty times. Unbelievable!!!
So far this watch has been everything it’s cracked up to be and more. The functionality of the menus and user friendliness has been seriously improved versus the older version as is the aluminium bezel and improved wrist strap design. The readout and backlight are much better than the old version as well.
I have no doubt that this little devil will be on my wrist this fall and hopefully will be with me for another six long hunting seasons just like its older brother was.
I have had the good fortune to try more than a few watches in my career and I always seem to come back to my trusty old Suunto. And the best part…it’s only available in EASTMANS’ ORANGE!!!
For more information check out backcountry.com for more information and user reviews.
Guy
That’s great!!! Looks like a great watch. However, the average working man (if he has a job) can’t afford this watch. So why are you advertising it? The cost of hunting these days is putting the working man in his “lazy chair” or, “quad” (I like to say). Hunting has become a rich mans sport. Hunting used to be a working mans obsession to have something better for dinner than “beef”. I believe in hunting hard and “DIY” attitude and “Fair Chase” hunting, but all the rich people have it made as long as they have the cash and the working man is jobless and there is less working men out hunting. “JUST SAYING”
Good looking watch and probably a must for the gear hound. I’ll be wearing one in Colorado this fall. I understand the sentiment of Sean’s comment. In my opinion(we’ve all got one right?) even though the rich man hunts often get the press our sport will always be, in part, for ALL americans. I’m a big tent outdoorsman and we need eachother to protect our sport. I respect every hunter from the governors tag rich man(even if I’m a little envious and I shouldn’t be) to the Dad who takes his 4 kids out to plink squirrels with a 22(which is me). I admire the man whitetail hunting on public land in Oklahoma with a 20 year old Timex on his wrist that keeps poor time and Guy Eastman who will invest his hard earned $ on that great watch. I think our sport is for ALL of us and always will be. Even if rich men are going on expensive hunts.
Does it have a vibrating alarm? As a retired S.W.A.T. team member (too many explosions and gunfire), I can’t hear those little girly beeps most alarms have.
I’ve owned Suunto watches for years, and they are top notch. I’m a firm believer in “buy cheap, buy twice,” and I’ve proved that true once or twice, unfortunately. For me, I like to spread out my hunting purchases, during non-hunting months, so that I can get all the gear that’ll last the beatings of a wilderness/backpack hunt. If you’ve got the time, and not necessarily the money, ebay has the some really good deals. I bought a Suunto X-10 (a $600 watch) for just $125. Even I, a college student, can afford to save up some dough when I’m not hunting, and spend it on quality gear that I can count on when I am.
I’ve been looking at abc watches for a while now, and this one looks promising. Unfortunately since I’m in Nebraska the dial looks too much like burnt orange 🙂
Now on to a pet peeve–what’s with guys that don’t want to hear about expensive gear? Is it Sean’s duty to give us a maximum for any purchases? Of course not and it’s also not for me to do it. Keep the reviews coming!
It’s been a great watch so far. Thanks for posting Pat. I can understand about the Burnt Orange. Maybe they have a black and red one for ya. -Guy